UK government publishes its first Culture White Paper in half a century: Ed Vaizey, the UK culture minister, has published his White Paper. This is the first such governmental policy statement on culture since that of Jennie Lee, the Labour arts minister, in 1965. The Culture White Paper announces the establishment of detailed reviews of museums, arts and heritage. The museums review, due to be completed by summer 2017, will cover local, regional and national museums, with a special focus on digital services and collection storage. There will also be reviews of Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Artistic censorship is on the rise, advocacy group reports: Attacks on artistic freedom are on the rise globally, according to a report issued by Freemuse, an independent organisation based in Copenhagen that advocates for and defends freedom of expression. A study the group conducted, based on media reports and other sources, found that there were 469 cases of attacks on artistic expression last year, almost double the count in 2014.

Hundreds of Looted Ancient Artifacts Are Returned to Italy: Hundreds of looted archaeological artifacts that officials say were handled by the London dealer Robin Symes and destined for markets in the United States, Japan and Britain have been returned to Italy, Italian culture officials said Tuesday. The artifacts — dating from the seventh century B.C. to the second century A.D. — were found two years ago in a storage unit at the Geneva Freeport that investigators traced to Mr. Symes, and were brought to Rome this year, officials said. Freeports are largely tax-free storage sites where dealers and wealthy collectors can store artworks.

“Violon et encrier” by Juan Gris not a candidate for restitution according to the Limbach Commission: In its latest recommendation on 21 March 2016, the Limbach Commission found that the painting “Violon et encrier” by Juan Gris was not a candidate for restitution. The painting was originally owned by the dealer and gallerist Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, Paris, and seized from him by the French authorities during WWI. In 1921 the painting was acquired at auction by a syndicate, including Alfred Flechtheim, one of Kahnweiler’s most important business partners. Then, the painting came into the possession of Flechtheim. Flechtheim transferred the painting to London in the 1930s and sold it at an auction entitled “20th Century Classics” at Mayor Gallery in February or March 1934. The Flechtheim heirs made a claim for the painting which is today owned by the Foundation for the Art Collection North Rhine-Westphalia. The Limbach Commission took the view that the auction at Mayor Gallery did not constitute an asset loss in consequence of Nazi persecution. This was based on its assessment that there are no indications that Flechtheim did not receive fair market value for the painting and the proceeds of sale did not go to Flechtheim.

Urgent Need for Reform of the Limbach Commission: In early March 2016 Monika Grütters, the German Federal Minister of State for Cultural Affairs, said that a Jewish person should not be a member of the so-called Limbach Commission. She then changed course, and also said that one could think of a change in certain aspects of the way in which the Commission worked.

Hands off, it’s ours: French buyer refuses to return Joan of Arc ring to UK: The French buyer of the Joan of Arc ring is defying the UK authorities, saying that he did not need an export licence. “The ring has returned to France and here it will stay,” declared Philippe de Villiers, the founder of the Puy du Fou historical theme park, speaking at a ceremony to mark the return of the relic at Puy du Fou, near Nantes, on 20 March.

The Plot Thickens in Bouvier Case, As Picasso Stepdaughter’s Story Is Questioned: The ongoing legal battle between art dealer Yves Bouvier and Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev is so spectacular that it has made mainstream news as the “Bouvier Affair.” This past summer, the intrigue was kicked up another notch when Picasso’s stepdaughter, Catherine Hutin Blay, became involved in the fray. Hutin-Blay alleged that paintings, including works by her stepfather that she had entrusted to Bouvier for storage, had been stolen and surreptitiously sold to Rybolovlev without her consent. Now, another (potential) twist: Swiss paper AGEFI is reporting that it has viewed a four-page confidential letter casting doubt on this story. Though Hutin-Blay has denied knowing Bouvier, the letter suggests that she did, the report states. Moreover, it indicates that she actually approved a sale of numerous artworks to Bouvier for €8 million.

Christie’s Loses $700,000 Appeal in Superstorm Sandy Damages: The effects of Superstorm Sandy, which rocked the East Coast in October 2012, are still playing out. Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services is on the hook for $700,000 in a case of damage to art that New York’s Chowaiki Gallery had stored with Christie’s. On Thursday, the First Department of the New York Supreme Court decided against the storage company in a suit brought by the Madison Avenue gallery’s insurer, XL Specialty Insurance Company. XL had accused Christie’s of gross negligence, breach of contract, and fraudulent misrepresentation, among other charges. Thursday’s decision reverses an earlier one, from September 2014, that dismissed XL’s complaint based on a waiver in the contract between the gallery and the storage company.

Museums seek help as censorship grows in Turkey: As incidents of censorship are on the rise in Turkey, museums and art centres must find increasingly nimble ways to negotiate the changing cultural landscape. A new guide for Turkish cultural venues and artists implicated in censorship cases is due to be published later this year by the research platform Siyah Bant.

Why China’s tradition of copying is becoming a creative force: China’s copycat culture is equal parts famous and infamous. Blatant imitation was an integral part of the international trade that launched China’s emergence on the world stage three decades ago, and, despite improvements, it remains a problem for the Chinese government, international and local companies—and artists. Yet out of south China’s rapid development and massive-scale manufacturing, a strange space between copying, appropriation, hacking and original creation has emerged, known as shanzhai.

China’s private art museums: Architectural wonders or empty vanity projects?: Whether stunning collectives of 20 plus buildings, like the Nanjing Sifang Art Park, or singular architectural marvels, such as the Long Museum West Bund, Shanghai, the construction of private art museums is booming in China. Driven by the expanding number of Chinese billionaire art investors hoping to leave a cultural legacy, government and municipal policy, and the financial and security disincentives that hinder donation of private art to public facilities, scores of spectacular new museums are being built each year at the cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Asian collectors unveil plans to build major museums: Two museums planned for South and Southeast Asia are set to redraw the art-world map and boost the cultural infrastructure of both Bangladesh and Indonesia, according to the patrons behind the large-scale Modern and contemporary art institutions.

Middle East art market gets a boost with Abu Dhabi stake in online art portal: Abu Dhabi’s media arm twofour54 announced that it has acquired a stake in Collectionair, an online marketplace for fine art from emerging markets – specifically from the Middle East and Africa.

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